Delhi’s Pro Athletes Have Smog Coaches Now
By Syed John
Breathing strategies, charcoal smoothies, and micro-sensor bracelets are the new training gear.
A Delhi-based cricket coach invited me to a "respiratory rehearsal." Players wore micro-sensor bracelets that vibrate when PM2.5 spikes. They practice holding breath between deliveries, chug charcoal smoothies, and sleep in pressurized tents like Formula 1 drivers avoiding jet lag. This is what happens when your stadium doubles as a pollution chamber.
Sports science is adapting faster than civic policy. Teams hire smog coaches who study satellite data alongside bowling averages. They don't lobby for change—they hack the smog with tech. It feels dystopian, but winning keeps them funded.
My rant: we shouldn't normalize this. If athletes need air-quality playbooks, the city failed. Yet I can't blame them for optimizing survival. Until Delhi breathes easier, victory will smell like ozone and desperation.